mere 1
/mear/ , adj., superl. merest .
1. being nothing more nor better than: a mere pittance; He is still a mere child.
2. Obs.
a. pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.
b. fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.
[ 1250-1300; ME merus pure, unmixed, mere ]
Syn. 1. MERE, BARE imply a scant sufficiency. They are often interchangeable, but MERE frequently means no more than (enough). BARE suggests scarcely as much as (enough). Thus a mere livelihood means enough to live on but no more; a bare livelihood means scarcely enough to live on.
mere 2
/mear/ , n.
1. Chiefly Brit. Dial. a lake or pond.
2. Obs. any body of sea water.
[ bef. 900; ME, OE; c. G Meer, ON marr, Goth marei, OIr muir, L mare ]
mere 3
/mear/ , n. Brit. Dial.
a boundary or boundary marker.
Also, mear .
[ bef. 900; ME; OE ( ge ) maere; c. ON maeri; akin to L murus wall, rim ]